Moé Moé Rabu

Akari and her gondola are at a gondola workshop to have it inspected. Although it is old, Akari sees it as an important partner. Unfortunetly the workshop worker said that it is time to retire the gondola. Akari is surprised at this but the worker mentions that it would be rude to the customers to continue in the gondola when it is in such a state. Akari says that it can still be used for practice but the worker replies that it would be a sad thing for the gondola to continue as it is getting old. With the thought in mind, Akari and Alicia left the workshop, but as Akari is rowing, she is looking spaced out. Alicia asks if Akari is alright which she responds by saying that although it is sad to part with it, she can’t be an inconvenience to the customers. Alicia suggests that Akari take a camera and spend the next day with the gondola. But Akari says that she was helping Alicia, but Alicia says that it is ok. Later at night, Akari and President Aria are with the gondola. Akari starts to remember the first time she came to Aria Company and the first time she was acquanted with her gondola. With that she also starts rowing but starting rowing backwards. Once she has finished Alicia mentions that she was rowing the wrong way. Back to the present Akari says that tomorrow she’ll have to take lots of photos.

The next day Akari makes sure that she has the camera, an obento and that the weather is good. Just as she is about to leave, Alicia says “itterasshai” with a smile on her face. As Akari is rowing off, Alicia has a worried look on her face. As Akari is rowing through a canal, she remembers back to when she was a Pair. Practicing with Alicia she dodges an oncoming gondola and crashes into a pole.Back tot he present, she meets up with Akatsuki. Akatsuki wonders why Akari called him out, thus she explains that today is her gondola’s last day, and because Akatsuki was her first customer, she would like him to to ride in it. Upon hearing that he accepts her offer. Riding along with Akatuski, Akari remembers back to when Akatsuki was her first customer. The destination being the RopeWay Station, they are running late and Akari apologises to Akatsuki. Akari wants Alicia to take over but Akatsuki mentions that he is Akari’s customer and she should take responsibility. With that Akari does her backwards rowing and reaches RopeWay Station in time. Back to the present, they have reached RopeWay Station and Akari takes her first photo. At that point, both Aika and Alice appear on their gondolas. The two are the next people to be with Akari and her gondola. With that Alice suggest they go to the place where they first met.

At the bank with the flowers, Akari takes her second photo with Aika and Alice. Having lunch they start talking about the gondolas, with Akari saying that it looks like the gondolas are talking. As an embrarssing line, Aika lets this one pass. After parting ways, Akari goes and visits the various people that she met with her gondola from the Old Postman, to the Buttered Potato seller and even Woody, but she also takes pictures from the various landmarks she has been to. The last part is the Singles Exam Course. Rowing along she passes a boat going the other direction and comes across the water lock elevator. As she is being raised to the higher level, Akari remembers the first time she came to the elevator. Although it took a long time and she fell asleep, she likes it none the less. As she arrives at the last part of the course, Akari remembers back to when she first came here with Alicia. At that Alicia removes the glove from Akari’s left hand and congratulates her on being promoted to a Single. Coming back to the present, she takes another picture of her and President Aria, then starts heading back to the water elevator.

As Akari is going down the elevator, she falls asleep, but wakes up to see an old man sitting in her gondola. She asks him as a customer how long he has been sitting there for. He replies that he’s been sitting there for a long time. He asks if Akari can take him for a ride which Akari says she is still in training, but the old man knows that thus Akari gets up to start rowing. As they are going down the canal, Akari asks the old man why he chose her gondola, the old man wonders why he did. Arriving at the destination, the old man asks if Akari can continue for just a little more. As she continues, Akari gets covered in a bright light, having waking up and realise that she is still at the water elevator. Rowing back she wonders about the old man. Arriving back at Aria Company, Alicia is waiting for Akari, where Akari remembers again about the first time she rowed her gondola. Akari asks if Alicia remembers the when she first met her gondola, which Alicia replies she does. Akari then is about to start crying, but she holds back and smiles instead thanking Alicia for the day. With that, Akari mentions in her letter to Ai that tomorrow is the day her gondola retires, with Ai saying that she’ll never see the gondola again and wanted to say goodbye to it as well.

Preview:

This was a great episode. Of Akari’s gondola retiring. Not sure what chapter this is but I’ll know sometime this week. What really surprised me at the start was that the opening theme was 「Undine」 instead of 「Euforia」. Undine is the opening theme to ARIA The Animation. But it suited the situation quite well. What I got from this episode was that shows that there is an ending to everything, e.g the gondola, but there is also a beginning to everything, shown by all the flashbacks. I think Akari would take this as a new beginning and a new encounter that she will treasure with her an an Undine.

Also there is a new ending theme as I mentioned in the last episode blog. The use of silhouettes kind of reminds me of the Honey & Clover II ending theme. Well it is nice to have a new ending theme and it reflects well after this episode, especially since the title is 「Smile Again」 and Akari was smiling instead of crying at the end.

Ending Sequence:

Now also in this episode, as Akari was taking photos I also decided to take screen caps of the photos that she took. I think they are rather nice and decided to separate them from the episode caps. Hence why I kind went a bit overboard with screen caps.